Topic: Front fork leg cosmetics

[gregwaits]

The front fork legs on my '78 have these annoying spots of dicoloration. Running my fingers over them, it is obvious that they aren't pits. In fact, you don't notice any difference in the feel as compared to the rest of the surface area.

What have others done with these sort of spots? (see pics)

I thought I'd maybe just paint over them (black), but I am sort of fond of the stock look.

I also am attaching a pic of the bike, now its road ready. (obviously more cosmetic touch ups to follow, including repainting that butt-ugly yellow brake caliper!)

[MCRider]

The front fork legs on my '78 have these annoying spots of dicoloration. Running my fingers over them, it is obvious that they aren't pits. In fact, you don't notice any difference in the feel as compared to the rest of the surface area.

What have others done with these sort of spots? (see pics)

I thought I'd maybe just paint over them (black), but I am sort of fond of the stock look.

I also am attaching a pic of the bike, now its road ready. (obviously more cosmetic touch ups to follow, including repainting that butt-ugly yellow brake caliper!)

As you observed, what you have is likely not pitting. I would think you are seeing the factory clear coat lacquer coming off. Once that starts happening, your only choice is to remove it all, which can be done with paint remover and steel wool and hand protection. Then you can polish the exposed aluminum to a virtual chrome like finish. You can leave it like that, but you'll need to polish it back once a month or so as the raw aluminum will oxidize and lose its shine. Or you can get some clear lacquer from the hardware and spray it over your polished legs like the factory did.

Any clear lacquer will eventually yellow and start coming off. Looks like a skin disease. I prefer to simply restore the polished shine occasionally.

[mystic_1]

The front fork legs on my '78 have these annoying spots of dicoloration. Running my fingers over them, it is obvious that they aren't pits. In fact, you don't notice any difference in the feel as compared to the rest of the surface area.

What have others done with these sort of spots? (see pics)

I thought I'd maybe just paint over them (black), but I am sort of fond of the stock look.

I also am attaching a pic of the bike, now its road ready. (obviously more cosmetic touch ups to follow, including repainting that butt-ugly yellow brake caliper!)

As you observed, what you have is likely not pitting. I would think you are seeing the factory clear coat lacquer coming off. Once that starts happening, your only choice is to remove it all, which can be done with paint remover and steel wool and hand protection. Then you can polish the exposed aluminum to a virtual chrome like finish. You can leave it like that, but you'll need to polish it back once a month or so as the raw aluminum will oxidize and lose its shine. Or you can get some clear lacquer from the hardware and spray it over your polished legs like the factory did.

Any clear lacquer will eventually yellow and start coming off. Looks like a skin disease. I prefer to simply restore the polished shine occasionally.

+1 to the above.  After initially polishing my fork lowers years ago it only takes an occasional re-polish with Mother's to keep then looking great.  Not hard at all, but I only do it a few times a year.  If I did it more often it would be even easier.

mystic_1

[Red750K1]

Easy fix: took me about 30 min. I might be better to do with forks off but you could with them on. Use some stripper to get the factory clear off and dont go nuts with any steel wool, just use brillo or something. Then, I had awsome luck with this polishing compound from Harbor Freight. Its the BLACK "agressive" compound. Used it on the felt pad with my dremil. For some reason the cloth buffing pad didn't work as well, but the felt pad was awsome. Just got nuts with it and then give it a final shine with Mothers chrome polish or Blue Magic.  Good luck!

[gregwaits]

Thanks all!

[mystic_1]

For me it was the defect removal and wet sanding that took the longest.

I started with stripper to remove the clear, then wet sanded 800 through 1500 grit.  A 6 inch buffing wheel with emery compound, mounted to a 1.5hp angle grinder (wear ear protection!), then makes short work of the initial polishing, followed up by more sane polishing methods.  Finished up with hand polishing using old socks (turned inside out) with mothers.  Looked like chrome, for a while anyway

mystic_1

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I decided not to polish mine. Perhaps I was too lazy (probably) or perhaps that wouldn't look original enough for me (yes) or perhaps I didn't want to keep polishing them (definitely).

My solution was to take them to the powder coater. I had them done in a metallic silver and I think they came out very nice. Not original but close and VERY nice.

My next solution was to find a NOS set for $105. Now I have both and will switch to the NOS set when I do my restore. Will I keep or sell the powder coated set? Maybe 

[Ichiban 4]

The front fork legs on my '78 have these annoying spots of discoloration. Running my fingers over them, it is obvious that they aren't pits. In fact, you don't notice any difference in the feel as compared to the rest of the surface area.

What have others done with these sort of spots? (see pics)

I thought I'd maybe just paint over them (black), but I am sort of fond of the stock look.

I also am attaching a pic of the bike, now its road ready. (obviously more cosmetic touch ups to follow, including repainting that butt-ugly yellow brake caliper!)

I've had pretty good luck with using Mother's (the brand) aluminum/magnesium wheel polish. 

Unless they're pitted.  Then the sanding, polishing rout works best. Item: if they still have the lacquer on them..it'll all have to be polished off.  Removing fork legs and power buffing would then be probably in order.

Ichi

[sbc1320]

Use some 0000 steel wool dipped in some Mothers aluminum polish. Works much faster than a rag. After you got it like you want it take an old sock and some more Mothers and wrap it around the tube and pull the sock back and forth. Works great to keep it polished up with an old sock or rag every month or two.

[Red750K1]

I'm telling ya guys, don't mess around with sanding, well unless they're super pitted. If you want just a nice quick fix without hours of wet sanding (ask my friend chuck lol) just trip the clear off and go nuts for 15 min on each fork with that agressive black stuff from harbor freight and a dremil. Like I said earlier, for some reason the felt pads worked much better, they bit. The cloth "buffing" wheel didnt do so hot.
See!!  no sanding, no steel woll, no sweat!


Works on the engine too!

[jmckinne]

Mine looked just about like yours gregwaits. I didn't want a chrome look, I wanted something like the satin they came from Honda with.

I rubbed out the old finish and all the discoloration with 400 grit wet/dry. I did not use any stripper, I think it just adds mess on finishes as thin as that factory clear was. After that I used a powerball and some mothers aluminium polish, only going to a "high satin" finish, not chrome.

Took about 15 minutes/fork. I did this with the wheel and tire out while changing rubber. It was hugely easier that way. I did half of one fork with the wheel in - sucked. The front wheel comes off with four nuts and one screw - piece of cake. I pulled the fender too, that's eight more bolts. You will not regret taking them out the forks can move then and polishing is so much easier.

Good luck, well worth the effort!

[Johnie]

Yes, there is some nice "how to" in the archives I think under aluminum polishing.  I did not use paper either.  Just a Sears buffer with red, green and white rouge.  They look new...good luck with yours.  It will make a huge difference...

[jmckinne]

They look new...good luck with yours.  It will make a huge difference...

Now I did go to a chrome finish on my engine covers Johnie and they look fantastic, but yours... yours are the work of a truly unhinged mind.

Outstanding. I love how you can be seen in the reflection too. Not to hijack this thread but a quick question: did you spray a protectant on your covers once they were done or just leave them? I haven't sprayed anything on mine (did them last year) and they could use a little buff out, but I'm not sure if spraying is worth the dulling effect. Thots?

[754]

If you want a factory finish and want to remove the rest of the clear, try Scotchbrite..

[Tom in Newcastle......Ontario]

I used a wire wheel on my drill press to remove the clear coat,,,,than clear coated with hardware store clear in a rattle can,,,did this on my BMW and has been looking good for 2 years so far.........not a mirror finish but a quick,easy improvement

[Johnie]

They look new...good luck with yours.  It will make a huge difference...

Now I did go to a chrome finish on my engine covers Johnie and they look fantastic, but yours... yours are the work of a truly unhinged mind.

Outstanding. I love how you can be seen in the reflection too. Not to hijack this thread but a quick question: did you spray a protectant on your covers once they were done or just leave them? I haven't sprayed anything on mine (did them last year) and they could use a little buff out, but I'm not sure if spraying is worth the dulling effect. Thots?

JMC...no, I did not use any clear.  I had polished 3 other fork sets in the last 2 years and tried it without clear.  I thought I could always clear it later if I wanted.  So far I like what I see.  I can polish or give it a light buff anytime I want.  Could not do that with clear.  I used Aircraft Stripper which is popular on this board for removing the old clearcoat.  The picture below are the forks on my KO that I did this April.  I was happy at how they turned out.

[Terry in Australia]

Being a lazy bastaard, I stripped and polished, then clear coated my K3 legs 5 years ago, they look really "factory" as the 2K clear I used slightly dulls the shine.

I like the highly polished look, but I also remember them when they were still in Honda dealerships, and they were never that shiny new. Cheers, Terry.

[Red750K1]

1+ on the aircraft paint stripper. Thats what I used on the forks/valve cover/ stator cover and chain guard. It took off all the factory clear and I didnt do ANY sanding, just polished with the dremil and that black compound.